Mother of Ohio State University football standout slain in West Side mass shooting
Carnell Tate #17 of the Ohio State Buckeyes makes a catch for a touchdown during the Spring Game at Ohio Stadium on April 15, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - Ashley Griggs’ tweets were almost exclusively filled with the accomplishments of her son, a standout football player at Marist High School who became a top pick at Ohio State University.
"The wait is finally over," she tweeted early this year as she showed off Carnell Tate’s No. 17 jersey for Ohio State.
Early Sunday morning, Griggs was killed in a shooting on the West Side that wounded three other people. Witnesses told police the group was in the 4000 block of West Washington Boulevard around 2 p.m. when someone opened fire from a passing car.
No arrests have been reported.
Griggs’ family said she was a key to her son’s success. "He’s just trying to take it day by day," his cousin Paul Griggs said Monday morning.
As a freshman at Marist High School in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood, Tate played eight games, had 28 receptions for 444 yards and scored five touchdowns, records show. He was listed as the state’s top prospect in the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports.com.
"It was a dream come true to play varsity as a freshman," said Tate, who began his youth football career as a quarterback before moving to running back, defensive back and finally receiver in eighth grade.
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Tate signed a letter of intent with Ohio State in December of 2022 and enrolled in the school in January.
Tate’s father played linebacker at Alabama A&M.
Several friends and fans took also took to Twitter to grieve her loss and to comfort Tate.
The shooting happened in the Harrison police district, which has seen a 30% increase in murder over the last year, according to police data. Forty-eight people have been killed in the West Side district this year through July 9. During the same period last year, 37 had been killed.
But shootings in the district are down 4%, 150 this year compared to 156 in 2022, according to police data.
Chicago Sun-Times reporter Michael O’Brien contributed.